Fight Dangerous Body Fat with Exercise
Losing weight and gaining it back has got to be one of the most frustrating predicaments. I know. I just spent 8 weeks working out daily and counting calories, only to have it all come back when I was forced to take a two week hiatus due to cataract surgery, and my lack of exercise combined with holiday eating habits torpedoed my previous efforts. Back to square one. Sound familiar, anyone?
But I know it’s not really square one. I gained muscle and lost body fat and your body does not lose all that muscle in that short a time. Yet it’s important to get right back to business as soon as you can, to maintain that muscle mass and those endurance levels before you really slide back to where you started, or worse.
A recent study of women who lost weight showed that just 80 minutes a week of exercise helped them to keep off dangerous visceral body fat for a year even if they did regain some of their previous weight.
(Visceral body fat is the stuff that builds up around your internal organs and is associated with increased risk for serious health problems like cardiovascular disease, dementia and diabetes. It tends to cause a “potbelly” and an “apple-shaped” body.)
In the study, conducted by researchers at the University of Alabama, women did both resistance training and brisk walking for two sessions of 40 minutes each. Those who didn’t keep up with the exercise regimen gained back that visceral fat or added more of it. Based on previous research, spreading that exercise out over shorter, more frequent sessions would mostly likely have the same impact.
The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: No matter why you fall off the wagon—illness, surgery, travel or just plain lack of momentum—find a way to get back to exercise as soon as you can. Start back slowly and build up slowly, or you risk injury that can sideline you again! If you want to enjoy good health, exercise is not optional. Both aerobic exercise and strength training are important.
